The benefits of truck driving are clear to many drivers; who wouldn’t want to spend their days traveling the roads of America, delivering essential goods and products? But even if you are already aware of some of the main ones, there may be some truck driving benefits that you hadn’t previously considered.
What are the benefits of being a truck driver?
Whether you are considering your career options for the first time, looking to shift to a new career, or simply looking for a way to brag to your friends, here are some of the main benefits of being a truck driver.
1. Job security
Truck drivers are a staple of the American workforce, and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Commercial trucks make up 13.4% of all registered vehicles in the United States, and 7.8 million people are employed by jobs related to trucking — 3.5 million of those being truck drivers. The trucking industry generates more than $796 billion in gross revenue each year.
The statistics don’t lie — trucking is a huge industry, and it is only going to continue to grow. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 5% average employment growth rate over the next 10 years. It is safe to assume that, in the near future, truck drivers will continue to be in demand.
2. Steady pay
The purpose of a job is to be able to support yourself and/or your family. As such, one of the most important benefits of truck driving is the pay. While the exact salary that you receive will depend on the company that you work for, the kind of route you drive, or the kind of load that you carry, one thing that you can depend on is a steady paycheck. This is especially true if you work for a company that pays by the hour instead of by the mile, with set schedules so that you know exactly what you are taking home each pay period.
3. Freedom
In many professions, freedom and autonomy are highly valued — in other words, the ability to “be your own boss.” This phrase means different things in different professions, as you almost always have someone to report to. However, one of the most popular truck driver benefits is that you get to be free of the kind of restrictive environment that many other jobs have. Your office is the road, you aren’t stuck with endless meetings and paperwork, and no one is looking over your shoulder as you work.
This freedom also extends into the kind of routes that you drive. There is a ton of variety in the types of truck driving jobs that are available. Even if you work a set schedule and route, the types of routes that you drive throughout your career can vary greatly, depending on what your skills are; you can expand your skillset through training and then apply for different positions as you feel the need for change. For example, as a truck driver, you might drive shorter routes that allow you to be home every night, you might drive regional routes that require you to be gone for a few days at a time, or you might drive even longer routes where you are traveling for a week or longer. Freedom of the type of truck driver you want to be is arguably one of the most under-recognized truck driving benefits.
4. Travel
Again, depending on the type of route that you drive, there might be the opportunity to travel and see parts of the United States that you would never have otherwise seen. As you work different routes and jobs over the course of your career, you will get the chance to travel the roads of the nation and gain a real experience of America as you do.
5. Time to learn
Sometimes the long hours truck drivers spend on the road are seen as a bad thing by outsiders. But the reality is that all of these miles on the road give you something that many people would kill for: time. As a truck driver, you can use this to your benefit in any number of ways, but one is that you can use it to expand your knowledge. This doesn’t even have to be strictly trucking-related education. Many truck drivers will listen to books on tape or various courses or other similar educational content while driving.
Alternatively, you can just use this time to listen to your favorite music or even just enjoy the silence and sounds of the road.
6. Growth
As mentioned in truck driving benefit number three, you have the opportunity to work different kinds of routes through expanding your skillset and CDL training. An important aspect of any job is the potential for growth. And one of the main benefits of truck driving is that the opportunities for growth are numerous. There are a lot of ways to grow in a job like this — whether it be progressing to a different position in a trucking company or switching up your driving through various endorsements that open you up to higher-paying jobs.
Working for Matheson offers each of these benefits and more. If you want to learn more about the kinds of benefits that come with driving for Matheson, and view job listings and requirements, visit our careers page for more information.
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